


A Shade of Meaning

by Shadhavar1126 (Chimera428)



Series: SuperCat Week 2 Summer 2016 Alternate Universes [3]
Category: Supercat - Fandom, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Day 5 Soulmates AU, F/F, Multi, SCW2, SCW2 D5, SuperCat Week Summer 2016 Alternative Universes, Supercat Week 2, supercat, supergirl - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-07-29 11:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7682389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chimera428/pseuds/Shadhavar1126
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SuperCat Week 2 Day 5 - SoulMate AU</p><p>Once you hit puberty on Earth the world becomes desaturated, devoid of brilliant colors down to lightly tinted tones.  This is how you find your soulmate.  Your soulmate leaves imprints of color where ever they've been, only to fade to nothing with distance or time until you both connect to one another. </p><p>The problem is Kara always sees color in all the people she encounters, even in the dull gray hues that provide a backdrop to make everyone she might ever come into contact with a virtual spectrum of color.  Because Kara, as a Kryptonian on Earth can see auras and all auras show colors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Kara has always been different, she was an alien for one and for two, she can see colors. Kara has always been able to see colors, it's just one more thing that sets her apart from everyone else. Her cousin doesn't even see colors, but the Danvers have since concluded that was due in part to his lack of development and exposure to Krypton beyond a few days.

Given that Kara was thirteen when she left, and her ability to see auras while on Krypton was still fledgling in comparison to someone like her Aunt Astra. Astra was a master, you had to be to hold the title of General, she had been directly responsible for Kara's more advanced ability in that area .

Back on Krypton they always had the codex, or pre-arranged marriages based on house politics, soul mates were something sacred. Ironically her Uncle and his wife Lara had gone completely against the system, falling in love and having a child without the typical methods most Kryptonian's were born under.

Of course, Jor-El had been influenced by his brother, Kara's father. She herself was a product of that chance of fate. Of parents who genuinely loved each other out of connection not predetermined complacency. Kara herself was a happy accident, one her mother swore made her almost predestined for greatness to the likes of Rao. That her life would one day be chronicled and used as inspiration for generations.

Little did they know at the time just how true the words were, but with one devastating twist. Her world died, and everyone along with it. She was thrown off course and sent to a planet where she was the child and her cousin was the hero. Twelve years later, growing up in his shadow, add to that her inherent abilities involving color and there were days like today she felt even more alone and out of place on Earth.

As Kara sat on her couch, munching away on cereal, she couldn't help but recall when Alex had first started to cry that she couldn't see colors like before. It was as if someone were desaturating the world by the time she turned fifteen. That was when Eliza explained to them both the uniqueness of the world and soulmates and love and all the things you want to be anywhere else in the world discussing with anyone else than your mom in your bedroom and how you're becoming a woman.

Eliza had made it a point to assure the both of them that soulmates were not the end result of one's life. They weren't goals to strive for every waking moment until it happened. There were already enough people in the world that had lost themselves to those endeavors or driven mad when they couldn't seem to find that 'one person that could make them see color again.' Amidst all manner of possibilities that could befall Alex, that finding her color wheel shouldn't dictate who she is, what she was capable of or her worth and place in the world.

Eliza had admitted that her and Jeremiah had never seen the full color spectrum once the world went to soft tinted grays. That she herself had never seen the trails of color in the world her soul mate was supposed to possess and leave behind for her to follow. That Jeremiah had been following the faint trails of colored hand prints on a wall only to run right into Eliza, while the hand prints continued to trail down a hallway past her. They became friends, and Eliza was constantly trying to help Jeremiah find those hand prints or any other blazing trails of color left by his supposed soulmate, not knowing he had fallen for her in the meantime.

Eliza pressed upon both girls at the time that she and Jeremiah had truly loved each other beyond all reason and what was a world with color when they had that? Eliza swore that Alex had brought plenty of color to their lives.  That when she was born, for a week she and Jeremiah had been blessed with a world of true color that faded away like when they were Alex's age, but this time not as far into the spectrum of dull desaturation like before.

Kara was nearly twenty when the colors of the world began to fade, she could remember calling Eliza to tell her more afraid than elated from her dorm room in school. By the time she graduated while the color of the world was duller, no doubt much brighter than most humans ever saw it after they went through puberty, Kara revealed one more thing to her foster mother.  The woman who was the biggest purveyor of making Kara feel like she was normal and belonged in this alien world no matter what. Kara could see color in all people, that everyone was a virtual rainbow at all times to her. How emotions rose off people in wisps of what looked like colored smoke bombs, or outlined their bodies or various organs in brilliant displays within the grayish tinted backdrops of the rest of the world.

Kara's question then to her had been, if she did have a soul mate, just maybe here on Earth, how was she ever going to see them? When she was already so different, even from her cousin who was the only other Kryptonian to exist that she knew of. Why was there one more thing that made her feel so much more isolated?

At the time Eliza couldn't answer her, nor had she been able to since. Neither could her sister, who after her initial resentment at Kara's much longer experiences with color in the world, had told her plenty of times before now and since that no matter what, she would always be there for her baby sister. That she wasn't alone in the world.

What Kara hadn't expected, once her sister seemed to reappear in her life after a rather self-destructive phase just before Kara's graduation was one of the larger reasons behind it. That while Kara saw colors in every person everywhere she looked, Alex had seemed to be her own exception. That there had never been a gradual reduction of colors for her like everyone else in the world. Alex admitted shortly after Kara arrived, that she only ever saw the world without any color what so ever.

Somehow, over the next few years the pair had grown closer in the oddities between them. It was a running joke that they shared in and amazed, or in most cases annoyed, their mutual acquaintances at the DEO and especially Hank. It also served as a salve when someone around either of them would run into their soul mate. For Alex the person became a sharp contrast of blacks and whites, to Kara they were a starburst of colors that trailed for what seemed like miles from around their bodies.

Kara heard the knock on her door and knew who it was without even answering. “In a minute.” She shouted, padding over to her counter to refill the mixing bowl she was using as a cereal bowl before making for the door. Halfway there Alex pounded again, her voice urgent and Kara hastened her pace, throwing the door open.

“Alex what-”

Her sister broke past her, nearly turning her around completely. Kara shut the door and put down her food, making a beeline for her sister who was in the process of flinging her jacket off like it was burning her.

“I saw it.”

“Saw what?”

“Color.” Tears were already burning Alex's eyes as she turned on her sister before resuming her pacing. “I, it, never, was just getting … I saw color.” She stopped, saying the words aloud for the first time made it that much more real and despite her tears she actually laughed. Her hand was quick to wrap around her mouth where she choked on a sob looking back at Kara.

Kara was beaming, her own eyes glassy as she looked at her sister. “Your heart Alex.” She swallowed and stepped closer looking at the organ and the brilliantly red and gold pulse that bounced through her sister's chest and then faded into the air around her. “It's beautiful, it's red and gold and you saw color!”

Alex laughed again until the two were wrapped around one another in a fierce hug until Alex murmured about needing air.

“When? Where? Did you see who?”

Alex choked on her air, holding onto her sister before shaking her head. “I saw color, but I think I'm screwed because I think they were on a plane or something cause it was in the sky.”

Kara looked confused and then figured of course, if someone were on a plane and their soulmate just happened to look up and were close enough in proximity they might actually see some color. Given how devoid Alex's sight was she could probably see color from the international space station if it belonged to her soulmate.

“We'll find them, I mean, maybe not them them but if a plane was going in whatever direction or something we can check back at the DEO look for flight plans or I dunno.” She held her sister up, a grin plastered on her face. “Alex, you saw color!”

Alex wanted to scream and hugged her sister again. “I have so much adrenaline. I need to fly before I just run and base jump out of your apartment.”

Kara laughed aloud, Alex never asked her to fly, not since they were little. “Two seconds, just stand there and hum for two seconds and I'll fly you all around National City and then get your favorite late night take out.

Five seconds after that, Kara grabbed her sister without prompt, and in a burst of super speed jumped out the window of her apartment with her, causing her to scream, s Kara got into the perfect position, catching Alex mid-drop before they pitched up and Kara shot off in a burst across the heart of the city.

“I SAW COLOR!” Alex shouted at the top of her lungs as she wrapped her arms tighter around Kara's shoulders from where she was balanced on her back.

Unbeknownst to the pair of them, someone else saw color, streaking in wild formations all across the city in haphazard loops and even symbols written in the air that they recognized as Kryptonese. “Rao bless it.” Astra swore from her perch standing to her full height on the edge of the building as the symbols began to fade as they got further and further away from her.

 

\-------

 

The next morning, Kara stood primed and ready with her boss's coffee as she counted the beats of her heart and how much louder each one got as the elevator rose before stopping.

“She's here.” Kara mentioned, causing Winn to straighten his shirt and pretend to look busy. There was a part of her that swore this was the best part of every day. The dull background of the office would slowly creep in on her, despite the vast arrays of everyone's aura and how they swirled and spit around the people she worked with. Or how various parts of them resembled neon lights that beat through their bodies and then echoed into the air around them as they moved.

Despite all that cacophony of noise as she came to see it, nothing compared to when Cat came bursting out of her private elevator. It was like fireworks going off starting in her core and exploding out, leaving a carnage of color behind her as she stalked into her office. What was the most interesting to Kara, was as soon as Cat got to her, their simple exchange of a coffee would seem to calm the noise and even Cat herself became a wraith of smoke and charcoal until nothing but her heart was visible in full color to Kara.

It was always a deep red and gold, like the skies of Krypton at sunrise, and if she were really lucky, some days she would see lightning strikes of blue upon every heartbeat. It makes her breath catch every time, and she secretly envies whomever makes Cat's entire being respond that way.

“Good morning Ms. Grant.”

Her latte was grabbed, her bag tossed and her chair immediately sought after. “Get me the layouts for this week and put my lunch order in early.”

Kara knew by the tone and the tension, as well as the fact that Cat hadn't removed her sunglasses that she either had a hangover or hadn't slept well. “Yes Ms. Grant.” Kara turned, after placing Cat's purse in its rightful place, intent on settling into the day and how much of a buffer she was going to have to play for the rest of the office thanks to her boss' mood.

“And get Olsen in my office now. I want a meeting with Supergirl asap, no exceptions or he's fired.”

“Wh- isn't that a -”

“Now Kiera.” Cat snarled and turned her chair around pointedly.  

Kara made her way to James' office, closing the door and double checking to make sure no one was within ear shot. "I'm so sorry."  She watched him, in his full color glory ever since he found his soul mate, and set his work aside and regard her with his full attention.  

"What are you sorry for?"

"Ms. Grant wants a meeting with me, er, Supergirl, through you."

James sighed, knowing already this was going to make the day that much harder.  "I told her a few weeks ago, I'm not at her demand and Supergirl isn't at mine."

"I think we're just going to have to bite the bullet on this one.  I'll make it quick, she probably just wants an interview or something." He started to protest but she shook her head. "I'll talk to Hank and Alex, just, see how the day goes maybe she'll let it go like she has before." 

"Good luck with that." 

Throughout the rest of the day Cat's mood only seemed to get worse, especially when Kara was around until Cat actually told her to go home early when she had personally delivered James to her bosses office as an attempt at a peace offering. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Cat Grant swallowed another mouthful of scotch, the burn from earlier having lost its potency which meant she needed to stop. Slipping into the kitchen she set the tumbler into the sink before turning to the fridge and pulling out a tall bottle of water.

She rubbed a hand along the back of her neck, stretching the muscles there before resigning herself to getting ready for bed and made her way to her room. She paused only to check on Carter, the corner of her mouth lifting at the sight of him sleeping while another part of her wished she still saw him in the vibrant pigments she had close to five years ago now.

Cat padded down the hall, shrugging out of her comfortable pants and crawling into the plush depths of her bed wishing that thought hadn't crossed her mind. She took a hearty sip of her water, nesting down into the pillows surrounding her while bunching her sheets around her a moment after.

It had been nearly thirty years since she had seen color in the way she remembered from when she was young. Carter had brought all that back to her, enabled her to build the empire she had with the only slightly muted spectrum he brought into her life again. She was content with that notion, her son being her soul mate. No one had ever outlined what the depths or requirements for a soul mate had to be. Plenty of parents before her had revealed the same when their children were born, only most also revealed that when they reached puberty themselves their colors began to fade away.

Carter had changed her, in more than one way, she was a better mother and in some aspects a better person for him. She found joys in simpler things after he had been born, and thanked whomever sought to provide that happy accident to her when her ability to see colors had returned to her. That was of course until about five years ago.

She huffed and shoved at her duvet a bit, trying to get more comfortable in her nest. At first she thought Carter was an early bloomer, that like herself he would be one of those mildly unfortunate ones who would be awkward and gangly and ahead of all of their friends as they were thrown into puberty earlier than most others.

When that hadn't been the reason behind her sudden desaturation of her son and the rest of the world again in her life she had held onto some small ounce of hope that she was actually going to be privy to her own soul mate. The one that would capture her heart and melt the bitterness she had built up around her in her fifty some years alive for not having seen the beauties people far less deserving had experienced around her. Her ex-husband being one of them.

Only they never manifested, not a glimpse, a streak, not even a flicker of color had crossed her path in any sense in the meantime.

Until Kara Danvers crept into her life.

When she interviewed her she had barely paid any attention to the young woman, by her own admission she was beyond ordinary, under-extraordinary was how she had put it. She was the last interview of the day and Cat was already tired of answering her own phone and every other candidate simply wanted her name on their resume for the future. A future they all seemed to convince themselves would eventually involve taking Cat's place in the world. That she wasn't going to tolerate.

So she had hired the woman, and in doing so may have sealed the fate of her own sanity. It wasn't until after the woman had vacated her office, having been thrown right into work ten minutes after her interview, that Cat noticed the gleam of silver glaring at her from her pen holder. The same Mont Blanc pen that Kara had fingered and informed her was out of ink. She could recall even now how her fingers shook when she reached for the pen itself, and nearly dropped it when she pried it from the holder to reveal the full shaft in its glorious midnight blue tones.

Ever since then, every little place Kara touched erupted with color, fingerprints left behind swaths of crimson on the petals of roses that were delivered to her one day as a thank you from someone she couldn't eve remember now. Streaks of gold and ivory erupted across the bar in her office, and each decanter that Kara had throttled practically vibrated with streaks of color the woman left in her wake.

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months and now it was a little over two years and Cat swore she was going crazy. Not a single time did Kara seem to acknowledge any element of what she was doing. Her eyes showed no sign of recognition of Cat herself when she strode through the office each morning. Even the rumor mill at work, that was always abuzz with news of someone seeing the trails of their soulmate on a weekly basis, made no mention of Kara.

It had gotten so bad that Cat had gotten brazen, trailing her fingers across Kara's desk. Lingering in her spaces, taking time out of her office to demand things from the hobbit or surprise Olsen with last minute projects she had to have done right then. Each time she waited, and each time nothing. Never once did Kara made mention of Cat's hand print trails that she even began leaving on her own desk.

While her son's vibrancy continued to fade, her office became a cornucopia of color that fluctuated daily dependent upon how long Kara had spent in the room. The first time her entire office was painted with Kara's phantoms she nearly passed out from the intensity of those pigments filling her vision.

Over time it made Cat sick, then sad, then angry and now she was in some place of numbness laced with all those emotions and more swirling around her on a constant basis. No one had ever mentioned seeing the soul phantoms and tracing them to the person they belonged to only to have no response in return. Even blind people were inundated with color in their minds eye, and in fact managed to find their soul mates frighteningly faster than others.

Cat drained the bottle of water, her mood soured and her mind already dreading what kind of heart wrenching masterpiece she would walk into tomorrow concerning her office thanks to her assistant. It was an uncharacteristic shout that had pulled her from the drowning pool of emotion in her mind, fearful someone had flung themselves from the building she was up and out on her balcony a few seconds later.

What she was greeted with slammed into her with the full weight of a wrecking ball. There were soul phantoms in the sky, more beautiful than her office could ever hope to be. Her eyes desperately tracked the streaks and bursts of gold and blue until her balcony nearly rattled from the rush of air that twisted around her and splashed color in every which direction like someone throwing a bucket full of water onto the sidewalk.

It began to fade just as quickly as the summer sun at high noon, but there was no mistaking who provided it as she heard the fading shout of someone who finally saw color for the first time.  What she couldn't seem to grasp, was being faced with yet one more person who she could see, clearly, beautifully in full technicolor glory, but didn't see her.  She wondered, if that was the final universal twist to her life, that she would see others who found their soulmates but never her own.  That had to be it, she didn't have a soul mate, that could be the only reason there was never an ounce of a response. 

Despondent Cat had tried to go to sleep, once all the soul phantoms had faded from the night sky. Really she just laid awake as the dull white of the sun rose across her city before she pulled herself out of bed and got ready for her day, a new intention building in her mind.

If Supergirl had a soul mate, which flew in the face of her not being connected to Earth, she wanted the exclusive as to who.

Which was where she found herself setting demands of one James Olsen, friend of Supergirl, in her office after having told Kara she needed to leave.  

"I want that interview, tonight, here. No exceptions.  If she doesn't show, it's your job."

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Kara you have to. She's waiting in her office and she's not making any exceptions. I mean I can go back to Metropolis with little upheaval, save maybe rerouting Lucy from here.” He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “She was just, I've never see Cat like that Kara.”

“Did she even explain why?”

James shook his head, “Not in detail.” Kara continued to pace in her living room, Alex wasn't too far away, her back pressed against Kara's kitchen counter, and hands wrapped around the edge. “She did say-”

“You have to do it.” She piped up, interrupting the man and causing the other two to look over at her though Kara didn't stop her pacing.

“What if I say the wrong thing or say something I'm not supposed to or get all wound up and lost and she just corners me and I make an idiot of myself.”

James suddenly seemed preoccupied with his gaze elsewhere and Alex only smirked. “She makes you nervous.”

“Of course she does she's Cat Grant, Media Queen of National City and my boss.”

“And you have a crush on her.”

“And I have-” Kara came up short and Alex swore she heard a record scratch with the abruptness.

“Just admit it Kara, you talk about her all the time and not in the whole bad boss kind of way.”

“You don't talk about Hank that way.”

“No, but I've had my moments you have to admit. I've never tried to paint the exact color of his eyes or try to depict her heart on canvass the way you seem to see it though either Kara.”

Kara let out a growl of frustration, threading her fingers through her hair and wrapping her hands around the back of her neck.

“You didn't happen to go out or anything last night did you?” James questioned, looking between the pair of them as Alex fidgeted and Kara stopped pacing.

“Maybe, why?”

“She seems to think Supergirl found her soulmate.”

“Oh no.” Kara seemed to falter and shot a look over at Alex who despite herself had a grin on her face.

“Not exactly.” Alex explained before looking up over at them both, her grin becoming more tempered. “I saw color for the first time last night.”

“What?!” James was up in an instant, his own smile infectious. “Alex that's great!” He looked her over again only to furrow his brow. “Wait, but you're not.”

“I just saw color, I didn't find who the colors belonged to.”

James made a noise of disappointment “I'm sorry.”

“I'm not.” She answered, unable to contain her grin again before gesturing to her sister. “But I did come here right after and had to have this one fly me around the city just to come down off the high from it.”

Kara nodded a few times over, retracing her flight path and making a face. “I may have buzzed Cat's building not really thinking about it.”

“Again with the crush thing.”

“What, I can't help it if she lives in the tallest penthouse in the city.”

“You can make sure not to have it as the number one flight point on your patrols though can't you.”

“Okay, ladies, ladies. This is all very exciting, and Alex I'm extremely happy for you, but I think, I think Cat either heard you or saw something or I dunno but I think your little fly by last night has gotten jumbled up with what she thinks is going on.”

“Like what?” Kara questioned.

“I think she thinks you, Supergirl you found your soulmate last night and that the person shouting it to the mountains while buzzing her building was in fact you and not your sister.”

“Color.” Alex interrupted suddenly her eyes wide and in nearly three paces she was across Kara's apartment and practically plastered against the window. “There it is again! Kara I can see colors!”

Kara and James were at the adjoining windows searching desperately for her sister for something, anything relaying where Alex was seeing the disturbance.

“It's so god damn beautiful.” Alex spoke into the glass causing James and Kara to exchange a look before turning back to the skies.

“You're sure.”

“Yes”

“Same as”

“Yes!” Alex nearly came out of her skin, struck with complete awe as bursts of color wrote themselves into the sky. It was then her brain seemed to catch up to her, planes didn't write in the sky, not many things could write in the sky. “Paper, get me paper right now!”

Kara looked confused but complied, using her super speed to procure Alex with paper and a pen. Her sister took the objects hastily before blindly scrawling out on the paper what she saw, while James and Kara looked over her shoulder.

Midway through her ministrations Kara sucked in a sharp gasp and then pressed back to the window.

“Kara?” James asked, looking back to the symbols Alex was drawing and seeing nothing but gibberish to his brain.

“Kryptonese. She's writing in Kryptonese!”

“That's it. They're starting to fade.” Alex supplied, equally surprised at what Kara said, so much so that her hands were actually shaking before she looked down to the words, none of which she could make out as her sister rushed back to her. “What's it say?”

Kara's eyes scanned the page, easily making out words despite Alex's lack of finesse with the script. “You killed the Helgrammite. My Brave One.”

“Are you serious right now!? Who the hell knows outside of you that I did that?”

Kara shook her head back and forth, her own hands shaking slightly at the prospect of another Kryptonian being on Earth outside of her cousin. “Someone else made it here, either one of my people, or something that knows these words.” She looked back up to her sister then, balancing on elation and terror. “Your soulmate isn't from here Alex, they-”

She was interrupted by James cell phone which made nearly all of them jump out of their skin, as he pulled it out of his pocket he made a face and held up the display for them all to see.

_“Call incoming. Cat Grant. Answer?”_

Kara balled her fists and wanted to scream. Instead she swore in here native tongue under her breath as she went stomping over to her bed, pulling a box out from underneath it and tossing her suit up on the mattress. “Don't have time for this. Rao bless it.”

James stepped across the apartment, answering in overly sweet tones and letting Cat know that Supergirl had gotten his message, that she was on her way. Alex was already at the opposite side of her apartment, talking through her ear piece about a possible security breach at the very least, but at he most that Kara and Clark might not be the only Earth bound Kryptonian's on the planet.

Kara was quick to fill her suit, taking a deep breath as she pulled her boots on one foot at a time before attaching her cape. She adjusted her shoulders until the armor of her suit seemed to seal around her like a glove. She turned back to the other two then to find them both staring at her.

“Guys, you see me in this all the time.”

James shook his head slightly and Alex was right beside him, telling Hank to hold on as here eyes traced every line presented to her.

“Not in color Kara. I've never seen you in the suit in color.” Alex's voice slipped past her lips breathlessly and even James had to nod.

“Impressive, a little overwhelming at first but-”

“It's gorgeous.” Alex frowned a moment after, her shoulders seeming to fall. “And now its fading.”

“Your soulmate, they're too far away.” Kara guessed, to which James only nodded trying to give Alex a small reassuring smile. “Happened to Lucy and I all the time when she would get sent somewhere. Or when I came here to work for Cat.”

“So how come you can see it now? I thought Lucy was still in metropolis.”

James shook his head with a small smile. “She's here, well not here, she's yeah she's at my apartment.”

Kara let out a dark sigh, shaking her head. “Then go experience the damn world with her already. You've done your thing, I'm going to see Cat and you.” She pointed to Alex. “Need to be careful. Get to the DEO and see if Hank can find something, anything, showing who or what wrote that all in the sky. I'll be by once I finish this, thing.”

Their plans decided Kara let them out of her apartment a few minutes later, locking up behind them before stepping off her window ledge and spiraling off towards CatCo.

 

**\-------**

 

Cat stood in her office, arms wrapped around her torso as she continued to watch the colors drain from her office like rain washing away the chalk drawings on pavement. The softer gray tones allowed her headache to ease, her mind to catch up and her heart to stop feeling like it was going to explode any second. She couldn't keep doing this, knowing that by the time she was back in here in the morning, the office would be painted all over again with the soul phantoms her assistant had at her disposal.

She let out a dark sigh, Kara was the best assistant she had ever had. Awkward and quick to nervousness, she never complained, called out sick, or even taken a vacation. Cat's brow furrowed at that thought for a moment until she heard the rush of air behind her and the resounding thump of Supergirl's boots on the concrete of her balcony.

“You need to work on your landings Super-” Cat turned to look at the woman as she rose from her landing stance, feeling her heart rise up and threaten to choke her before dropping out completely. “Girl.”

“You wanted to see me Ms. Grant?” The sway of her cape was almost hypnotic, its rich red hue pulled Cat's attention as trails of gold cut through the air in its wake like fairy dust in some child's movie.

“I.” Cat swallowed, seeing the dark blue and accents of gold conform around Supergirl's body, how warm and alive her skin looked, and the way her hair seemed like spun gold. She marveled at the rose tint of her mouth, the blush of her cheeks no doubt from her flight until she was stilled completely by the shocking ice blue of Kara's eyes. She heard a ringing in her ears and saw Kara's concerned frown before barely registering the shout of her name as she promptly passed out.

Kara was wrapped around Cat in an instant as she started to go down. She cradled the woman in her arms, moving her back out to the balcony for fear there was something in the building that had taken Cat's consciousness. She sealed the glass doors behind them and carefully laid Cat out on the chaise lounge facing the city there.

“Alex.” Kara pressed the button in her ear, waiting for her sister to respond. “I think something's wrong at CatCo. I just got here and Cat seemed fine, only to pass out. Can you check the city for a leak or any activity around the building?”

“What is going on with tonight?” Alex swore, and Kara could hear her relaying orders and grid searches. “Keep her and yourself safe. If you have to, leave the building we'll get a sweeper team up there.”

“I don't detect anything Alex, except by Rao what shampoo is that.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Kara?”

“I'm fine, I'm, I lowered my defenses to try and see if I could smell anything.”

“And?”

“I'm covered in Cat, which is making it very difficult to smell anything else.”

“TMI Supergirl.”

“Just figure it out Alex, she's starting to wake up.”

With that Kara ended the call, set on one knee beside Cat as she drew in a deeper breath as her awareness slowly came back to her. What had been pulling Kara's attention when she arrived was the firework explosion yet again that seemed contained within Cat's body when she had landed. She assumed, as best as she could guess that Cat's soulmate had just been by, or perhaps had been brought in after Kara left this afternoon.

When she had stepped inside Cat's office her heart had been the launch pad of all those colors, rupturing in all manner of the spectrum with each heartbeat. If she could she would try not to touch Cat, just to see if the woman turned back to gray and charcoal without directly interacting with her like would often happen during the day.

That was until Cat had wavered, her balance was gone and her speech slowed. Kara saw her eyes roll a half second before they closed and her arms were wrapped around the other woman hauling her off her feet before she had completely succumbed. Just like before the myriad of color seemed to suck itself back into Cat's heart. Leaving the organ the only thing about her that Kara could see in its magnificent glory.

Cat reached for her absently as she began to rouse, fingers curling around the arm of her suit as her other hand came up to rest against her forehead.

“What happened.”

“You passed out Ms. Grant. I was afraid something might be leaking in the building, but, I did not detect anything.”

Cat allowed herself to peek at Kara through her fingers only to shut her eyes away when she was bombarded with the same colors as before, and no response outside of concern for Cat's well being. There was no elation or tears, no eruption of emotions from the basest depths of one's very being heralding the revelation that they could see color again. Nothing. Just quiet concern sealed behind blue eyes that were going to haunt Cat's dreams for ages to come.

Cursing herself and her twisted fate, she braced herself on Kara's arm, knowing it wouldn't budge as she pushed herself up to a more seated position. “So you have found your soulmate then.” Cat mused, catching Kara off guard.

Kara frowned, looking at the spaces between them before shaking her head. “Not, no.”

“Liar.”

Kara straightened, seeing Cat sit up she pushed herself to a stand looking down at the other woman. “Not lying. Apologetic maybe. I believe the incident James brought me up to speed on is a simple misunderstanding. A, very important person to me finally saw color last night. She, she can only see in black and white, no color what so ever.”

That admittance only made Cat cringe, if there was someone with that exception, it only rooted the theory of her own predicament.

“She had so much adrenaline in her from seeing just a small streak that I tried to help burn it off by flying her around the city. I never intended to disturb you, and I doubt she did either with her shouting.”

Cat swallowed, rubbing her hands over her face as she tried to compose herself even more. She chanced the opening of her eyes again but kept her gaze set ahead of herself. “So it wasn't you.”

“No.” To Kara, Cat seemed almost disappointed at the prospect, and when she refused to look at her she moved into her view line only to have Cat close her eyes. “Sorry if I ruined your headline Ms. Grant.”

Cat almost growled and forced herself to look at the other woman, feeling her stomach threaten to drop out with the overwhelming burst of colors that flooded her vision again. “You didn't ruin anything.” She sighed, rubbing at her head even as Kara lowered back down until they were eye level.

“Can I help?”

Cat shook her head slowly, pulling in her bottom lip before losing herself to those blue eyes again. “Just help me up.”

Kara nodded absently, edging around the couch to help the woman up from the furniture, still off balance Cat stumbled slightly her hands falling on the house symbol built into Kara's suit. Kara had Cat by her shoulders so there was no chance of her falling but when Cat's hands didn't move away and instead fanned out over her chest she swallowed hard and allowed herself to look down.

“Ms. -”

“Your heart...” Cat whispered, her fingertips smoothing over the shield and adjusting until she had surrounded the other woman's heart, or what she saw of it burning away with color and life almost as if she were holding it. “It's magnificent.” All other colors seemed to fade away, with the block of her hands as she stared at the alien object. It had more chambers than a human heart, and seemed situated closer to the center than off to one side.

Kara suddenly went rigid and her eyes wide as the world around Cat from her balcony and beyond appeared as if someone had grabbed the saturation toggle and flung it all the way into the stratosphere. She spoke in Kryptonese as the world blossomed in all its full color glory around them.

She turned her gaze down as she felt Cat's fingernails dig into her suit when her heart picked up its place. She saw the veins of gold like liquid smoke twisting around the woman's hands and down her arms revealing the paler tone of her skin and chasing away the smoke and charcoal that had always hid Cat from her when they touched any time before.

“Oh my god.” Cat was shaking but knew she wasn't going to fall as Kara's grip tightened on her shoulders. “I see you.” Her voice nearly broke, and her legs went slack, forcing Kara to snag her up in the same posture she had before, cradling Cat to her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

“Kara?” Cat struggled with the truth of it all, that her assistant and Supergirl were not only the same, for absolute certainty but that she had been her soul mate.

Not willing to deny it, not with the world coming to life around them so completely she nodded. “I'm sorry, I couldn't-”

“Why?” Cat's expression shifted, anger sweeping across her in broad strokes of red across her aura, followed by pale blues letting Kara know it came from a place of sadness. “Why didn't you ever.”

“I didn't know!” She tightened her hold on Cat even as the woman fug her nails in deeper. “You always, your were always smoke and charcoal. I, y-you were always this beacon of color when you'd come into work against the dull backdrop of the world and then... you always faded into the gray when you touched me.”

“What do you mean faded.” Realization slowly began to dawn on Cat, one hand remaining on Kara's chest while her other dared to touch the full rose blush of her mouth. “You could always see colors?”

Kara nodded, though what she had seen in the past few years of her life was nothing in comparison to what Cat had given her now. “In people, always.” Kara had started to same something else until Cat's balcony doors burst open, revealing Alex and other DEO agents with weapons drawn.

Cat startled, and then found herself grasping to Kara when she realized they were hovering above her balcony by a good twenty feet.

“W-Supergirl?” Alex questioned lowering her weapon as she took in the sight of Kara aloft without realizing it and one Cat Grant cradled in her arms.

“Uhm...hi.” Kara started, realizing she was airborne and reaffirmed her grip on Cat.

“Color.” Alex responded, her agents behind her suddenly tense.

“Yes, oh Rao yes color.”

“No, color!” Alex pointed causing Kara to turn and look towards whatever was streaking towards them at breakneck speed.

“GET DOWN!” She shouted, zipping down and securing Cat behind her couch and started to take back to the sky to face whatever was headed their way.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The two agents alongside Alex took up counter points, Alex herself moved closer to Cat as Kara hoisted herself in the air, taking the brunt of the heat vision blast that had been sent their way.

“Kara daughter of Zor-El.” Non said in a wicked tone, coming to hover level with Kara near CatCo's balcony.

“Seriously Alex this is the color-”

“Not it!” Alex shouted, already radioing to the DEO about Non's arrival to Hank and any other members that could get there as fast as possible.

“That was simply a warning shot.” He offered, his eyes starting to glow again. “This planet is not long for its freedoms. As a means of negotiation I thought I would offer you a single opportunity to join me, before I implemented my plans.”

“Join you?” Kara shouted, already bracing herself for another hit. “Like you asked my Aunt to join you, like you asked all those others who fled when your precious General Zod was imprisoned. I'll pass.”

Non blasted her again, only to have his vision locked with hers. “I knew you would fail to see reason, no matter how many times your Aunt argued on your behalf, I knew you were too weak, just like her.”

“What the hell is happening?!” Cat shouted as Alex ducked down beside her.

“I don't know but it's not good. Keep your head down.”

“I assume Agent Scully you've got a better plan of action than that!” The other woman never answered as the two of them watched Kara falter, pushed back easily in the air as Non's abilities seemed to outmatch Kara's.

“COLOR!” Alex shouted, sending Kara back into the concrete of the building as she maintained her death glare with Non until he was quite literally punched from the sky and hurled halfway across the city.

Disengaged from her Uncle, pushed off the wall, ready to fight whomever had intervened only to come up short with the figure that floated where Non had been. “A-Aunt Astra?”

Alex was up a second after, the other two agents and Cat following suit as the lead agent made her way to the edge of Cat's balcony, her gaze riveted on the dark clad figure as the world erupted into color and made her grab for the balcony ledge. Even Cat had a hand on her shoulder a second after asking if she was alright before relaying that something was wrong with the woman.

“He's coming back.” She shouted, looking from Kara to Alex with a knowing glare. “Get them out of here.” She was gone in a blink, leaving a streak of colors behind her for Alex to track before the explosion of her and Non colliding once again in the air occurred.

“Agent Danvers!” Hank shouted in her ear piece, pulling her back to the now.

“Situation, over the city, need K-rounds and possible containment.” She looked back at Cat who was some amalgamation of knowing and smug until her attention was pulled away with Kara's landing.

“They're alive Alex, how is that possible!?”

The sounds of twisting metal and breaking glass followed, along with the solid hits that Kara could make out of the two other Kryptonian's landing on each other until streaks of molten light burned through concrete and scorched buildings.

“Henshaw's got a car, back up is on the way, escort her down.” Alex gestured to Cat as the other agent's stepped up to flank her even if all she did was step closer to Kara.

“Alex I can't just leave her.”

“She told you to.” Alex said still somewhat awestruck as she could see the pair of them streaking through the city before a rumble of grounding impact shook her. “But I don't think the city can take the two of them.”

“Someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on.” Cat interjected causing Alex to straighten and Kara to step between them.

Kara gave Alex a pointed look before the woman relented before she turned to face Cat. “You're going with these agents, you're not going to argue, and I'm going to go... break up a family feud.”

“Those are members of your family?! I thought-”

“So did I.” Kara nearly shouted, causing Alex to turn away and Cat to flinch. Kara swallowed hard and let out a breath, her hands coiled into fists to keep them from shaking. “Please, please Cat, go with these people, they'll keep you safe until I can get back to you.”

The veneration in Kara's tone stilled Cat's arguments, as did a fireball that erupted across town that pulled everyone's attention equally. “They're destroying my city.” Cat murmured before looking back to Kara who nodded.

“And mine. I have to stop it, or try. Just, go with them.”

Cat nodded watching the weight of the world seem to settle all over Kara again, there would be time for questions and answers to all of this later. She reached up, setting her hand just over Kara's heart, flexing her fingers against the house sigil there. “You better come back, understand me?”

Kara nodded, pressing her hand over Cat's to reaffirm her agreement on the subject. “I will. I promise.” The two remained like that for another moment or two until Alex cleared her throat, causing Kara to roll her eyes and Cat to slowly turn her level ten gaze on the agent.

“City. In peril. Kiss already or get moving.” Alex supplied causing Cat's eyes to widen slightly and Kara's throat to flush.

“One hair Alex, I mean it, one hair harmed.”

“And you'll throw me into space I got it.”

Kara looked back to Cat, watching the fire of her aura dance between them before she offered her a tight lipped smile, squeezing her hand before taking to the air. She lingered just long enough to ensure Alex made it back inside with Cat before looking towards the carnage being wrought from her Aunt and Uncle in law and with a new sense of determination took off with a sonic boom in her wake.

  
**\-------**

  
A few hours later Kara came stalking through the DEO, unceremoniously dragging the unconscious forms of Astra and Non across the floor through the building only to drop hem off at Alex and Hank's feet and continuing onward.

“Kara, you can't, what're we, they're family you should at least talk-”

“They can both rot for all I care.” Kara spat back, continuing on her way hard enough to leave impressions in the concrete.

“Where are you going?!”

“To find Cat!” Kara shouted, rounding a corner and disappearing, leaving Hank and Alex to look at one another before turning down to their newest prisoners.

“She helped. Or tried.” Alex argued gently, even as agents nearby were securing k-cuffs around both of them.

“We don't know if she's a threat or was just looking out for Kara, you said yourself Non offered Kara the option to join him. Whose to say Astra wasn't the one who put him up to it and it's just a display?”

Alex let out a sigh, that was a good point, she was already weary of both of their presences considering they hadn't heard or seen blip one from any other Kryptonian's save for Clark. However, Alex knew they had been sent to Fort Rozz, Kara had told her as much well before now, but she had assumed it had gotten lost or was still in space somewhere. “I'll take this one.” She said with what she hoped was a casual indifference, ensuring Astra's cuffs were secure before leaning down to pick the woman up, with a little of Hank's aid until she was draped over her shoulder and followed the compliment of agents who were transporting Non.

Kara burst into the holding room, nearly taking the door off its hinges and making Cat nearly jump out of her skin as Agent Vasquez was quick on Kara's heels. “The director said not to move-”

“I don't care what the director said!” Kara raged, her eyes burning with all her pent up emotion as she whirled on Vasquez who stopped abruptly and stepped back, already reaching for the panic button on her person just in case.

Cat was up a second later, hand coming to rest in the middle of Kara's shoulder blades, causing all the bristle and bravado to siphon out of her like water down a drain. “I'm not going anywhere. Agent Doggett, and if I do it'll be with a proper escort.”

Vasquez shot a look to Cat but didn't correct her, easing up on pressing the emergency response button as Supergirl seemed to collapse in on herself with the other woman's touch. She nodded once, glancing to Supergirl then back to Cat mouthing that she'd be right outside before walking backwards and closing them up in the room as best she could with the damaged door.

After a long moment of silence Kara finally spoke in broken tones. “They've been here the whole time.” Cat kept her hand in place, even as Kara turned, her palm flattening on the center of Kara's chest and the scorched sigil displayed there. Kara was breaking in front of her, tears already tracking the dirt away from her face and her anger slipping away into utter sadness. “This whole time I thought I was alone, the no one who could remember Krypton like I did was alive.” She swallowed hard feeling her hands tremble again. “And they were here.”

Cat tugged Kara to her, feeling the taller woman wrap her up like she was her only lifeline. Cat herself surrounded Kara in her arms, cradling the back of her head as she broke down into sobs and slowly took the pair of them down to the floor.

Alex keyed in the security code for the holding cell, watching the door open as green light filled the room which cause Alex almost to misstep with their brilliance. Re-affixing her hold on Astra she told the agents escorting her to check on the other cell as Non was more likely the larger threat and walked Astra's prone form up and into the cell.

She set the taller woman down easily, moving her hair from her face in a selfish indulgence before moving to her wrists and unlocking the k-cuffs. As she stood she took one last look at the woman and the full color glory that was revealed to her, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly as she took note of the white streak in her hair before letting out a breath and turning away.

Astra snatched her wrist firmly, causing the woman to jump and pull even if the grip held strong. “I see my name for you was not misplaced.” Impossibly warm tones filled Alex's mind and she turned, her free hand fitting around her sidearm.

“Let go.” Alex warned as the woman righted herself but never stood, her grip tightening.

“And if I don't?”

“I get to see how impervious you are to harm under these lights.”

Astra hm'd, her features remaining stoic while her eyes betrayed her, revealing how awestruck she seemed to be. She refused to let go, catching the twitch of Alex's fingers against her weapon but the clasp was still secure. She twisted, pulling Alex down with a sharp gasp before yanking the agent to her, crashing their mouths together fiercely.

Alex let out a panicked noise, hand off her sidearm and in Astra's hair, fisting their depths as she pulled only to have the Kryptonian bite at her bottom lip and suck with a sound extremely unbecoming of the image of this hard ass general Kara had painted her to be. She felt Astra turn against their mouths, opening herself up with another sound that made the pit of Alex's stomach twist violently before exploding in sensation throughout her body.

The grip forgotten she latched onto Astra's hair, breathing her in as she tasted the inside of her mouth and pulled her up from where she was sitting. Astra grabbed at Alex's waist, hooking her fingers around those belt loops and pulling as heavy breaths washed out across Alex's skin through her nose. They fought hard against one another for control as the world around them exploded into all manner of colors, shades and tints enough to blind the both of them, forcing their eyes shut against the assault.

Alex bent backward, her hips still capture by Astra's strong grip even if their mouths broke apart soundly. Her chest was on fire and her head was spinning despite the thrum of her heartbeat driving shocks of pain into it from her senses being overwhelmed. Astra bent to her, trying to capture her mouth again only to be stilled just shy of her goal with a wince and a growl. Alex used both fists to keep hold of Astra's hair and essentially her head, keeping her from progressing further despite her efforts.

“My Brave One.” Astra husked, straining to no avail. “Whatever would you do without your pretty green lights.” She chided and licked at Alex's upper lip with her tongue in some semblance of challenge.

“I'm not yours.” Alex said, her arms straining with the effort to hold Astra still and nearly losing it again with the warm velvet of her tongue tugging at her mouth. “You're, you're married, and Kara's aunt... and-”

“You can hold me captive for now.” Astra tried again and Alex bent back further.

“Stop.” Alex commanded causing Astra to falter, causing the grip in her hair to relax in result. Both of them were breathing heavy, Alex especially and with a quick search of her features she let go of the woman, gently pushing her back until she let go and stumbled out of the cell.

“Close the door.” Astra said without inflection.

Alex was at a loss, confusion etched on her features and relief in her own right, she glanced to the outer door not seeing anyone before looking back at Astra who looked as if she could kill something all of a sudden. Any romantic inclination or ounce of amusement and teasing was completely void in the woman and it honestly frightened Alex.

“I-”

“Don't.” Astra allowed, tipping her head slightly as she studied Alex. “If I were your general-

“If you were my General what?” Alex reached up then and shut the cell, watching the magnetic seal activate.

Astra shifted her jaw, flexing the muscles thereafter before looking to a point above Alex's head. “I want to see my niece.”

“So do I.” Alex said, her ire fading before she backed up another step. She studied Astra for a long moment, likening her to some great predator stalking in a cage, knowing full well they wouldn't be able to contain her for long. “I don't, I don't know what you, what this is now... and I'm not sure if I can accept it. Especially after I talk to Kara, but I'd be lying if I didn't tell you how beautiful you are, how vibrant and full of color and...”

“You're not mine remember. I am not an object.” Astra said, though there was a slight crack in her tone, even if Alex missed it with the pang of regret she suddenly felt.

“I can't make her come to you, but I'll try.”

“You need to destroy Non.”

Alex was nearly out of the room when those words chilled their way across her spine, pausing her momentum as she looked back over her shoulder at the other woman.

“He is a threat that can not be contained in these cells. If you do not destroy him he will escape. He knows no boundary or limit, especially since I am no longer his General either.”

Alex felt those words snake through her insides, causing her to shiver with the weight of truth in them before she nodded as a means of acknowledging that she had heard the other woman before turning off the outer k-lights and leaving Astra alone.

Five steps down the hall and she nearly ran into Vasquez.

“Alex! I've been looking all over for you, it's Supergirl.” She barely had time to think before the pair of them were working their way to where Kara had gotten off to, only to come to a halt when Alex saw the security feed from the main room. Cat was holding her, smoothing down her hair and letting her fall apart from their crumpled places on the floor. The sight of it made her stomach turn and her heart ache.

“Drop the feed.” Alex said quietly, waiting for Vasquez to follow her order as she glanced around to the others who quickly found something else to do.

“Let Henshaw know that Non is to be considered a global threat and additional steps for containment may need to be taken outside of those we already have in place.”

“And why should Director Henshaw take that into consideration.” The man asked, his voice seeming to boom behind Alex as he stepped up to her.

“I was informed that he may be a larger threat than he originally appears. Based on that and what I know from Supergirl's accounts of the man, they're not exactly unfounded.”

Hank hm'd, his hands settling around his waist in his customary pose as he ordered the feed for his cell to be brought up.

“This other source wouldn't happen to be.”

“Yes. But the information was provided willingly, although perhaps under a bit of duress but Supergirl wouldn't lie. She seemed genuinely terrified about him and the things that sent him to the prison ship she's mentioned before.”

“Fort Rozz.” Hank supplied, causing Alex to nod.”

“It's here isn't it sir.”

Hank cut his eyes to her then back to the footage of Non's cell, he was still unconscious, or at least appeared that way and hadn't moved since he was drug in. “Has been, but we were never informed for sure that any Kryptonian's were on board. Though I'm beginning to wonder how accurate that initial intel was.”

Alex nodded, crossing her arms over her chest as she too watched the screen, having caught the smaller blip of Astra's feed. True to form she was coiled on the bench, staring straight ahead, occasionally looking up to the camera and then the door. Caged animal indeed.

“Vasquez, get me the joint chief's, and give me General Lane's eta. Alex, go, ensure Supergirl is alright and, tuck your shirt in, this is a government facility not a frat house.”

Alex cleared her throat, following through on that action before breaking away from the main command hub. “Yes sir.”

 


End file.
